Is it just me or do our nails take an extra beating in the winter? Dry cuticles, ridges, broken nails…the list goes on. My nails have definitely had a rough few weeks and I’m blaming the dry winter weather.

You already know that I’ve got a serious thing for nail polish, I could talk to you about it for hours (Hi, my name is Alex and I’m a nailaholic). But as well versed as I am in lacquer, I still have a lot of questions when it comes to nail care, especially since mine keep breaking and I chip every manicure after two hours.

So what’s a girl to do? I called up Nadine, she is one of the owners of the nail salon tenoverten (it’s where I go when I’m not doing the at-home mani/pedi) and she happens to be just as enthusiastic as I am when it comes to nails. She’s breaking down everything you need to do to rehab your nails, keep them healthy AND make that manicure last.

Take notes, this is good.

What are some of the nail care basics?

When it comes to basics of nail care, you always have to keep your nails really hydrated. We see a lot of people with dry cuticles, they aren’t taking care of them. I don’t think everyone has to have a manicure every week to have healthy nails.

What can you be doing at home?

Apply cuticle oil by massaging it into your cuticles just before bedtime so that you have it doing the work while you sleep, without the interruption of busy hands. Massaging the oil is key since it increases the blood circulation and helps nail growth while hydrating.

People have the wrong impression that you are supposed to cut your cuticles. It’s so much better for your nail health to hydrate them and push them back. Save heavy cuticle care for when you have a manicure.

If you’re washing your hands a lot, make sure you are moisturizing afterwards, thats a big piece of it as well. Keeping your nails filed is also important.

Do you need to give your nails a break?

People talk a lot about letting your nails breathe. Putting lacquer on your nails endlessly is not always a good idea. I like to get a manicure every week and a half or so and for me that works really well. Give them a break every once in a while. The moisturizing is really important to do in-between your manicures.

The problem is when you see people that had a manicure and 14 days later they still haven’t taken off the polish. It’s when the polish gets old that it causes damage to your nail and that is when your nails start to yellow. If you’ve had a manicure and you know you aren’t going to go for another two weeks take your polish off at home when they start to chip or grow out.

If your nails are really damaged, how much time should you give them to rebuild?

If you’re using good products, it’s okay to continue manicures once a week. I wouldn’t really do manicures with cuticle more than once a week. If you can wait a couple weeks in between just to give your nails some time then it’s a good idea. Apply a strengthening base coat at home every 4-5 days. Nail products work from the top down, so whatever you use for your base coat is going help your nail health.

How can you deal with brittle nails or ridges?

If you do have brittle nails or weaker nails, really finding a product that helps with the health of your nails is key. A strengthening base coat is really important. People sort of go in and use whatever base coat is in the salon but you should go to the drugstore, spend the $10 and find a base coat that works for your type of nails and take it with you. That is the most important product in the manicure.

We use a product from Duri called Rejuvacote that really helps in strengthening and in long-term nail health.

What about buffing your nails?

A nail buffer shouldn’t be used too often as it can weaken the nail. Always use a fine grit buffer and use it in an ‘X’ shape stroke, raising the buffer away from the nail in between strokes.

How do you get rid of discoloration?

Let them breathe. Don’t put anything on them. I think a lot of people try to buff the color out of their nail but if you over buff your nails you can damage them.

How can you make your at home manicure last?

First, clean your nail bed really well before you apply your base coat. Use a piece of paper towel instead of cotton and a non-acetone remover. Really go through all the crevices of your nails and clean your nail beds really well. This helps to clean the nail of any natural oils or oils collected on the nail from lotions. You don’t need to wash your hands after removing polish.

Sealing the polish is also really important. So when you get to the edge of your nail go across the tip of your nail with the brush and that really seals the color in and prevents chipping from happening as quickly.

What is the best way to do the clear look? Use a topcoat?

Just using a top coat isn’t ideal for a clear polish look because you don’t get the benefits from wearing a nail protective base coat. The tenoverten Foundation base coat was designed specifically for people in mind who want a buffed nail look but don’t want to wear down their nails with continuous buffing. It is a nail strengthening base coat that has a slight pink tint and high shine so it won’t dull like other typical base coats would after one coat.

I am so against gel manicures from a health perspective. The chemicals laden in most of them are scary and they also leave an area for fungus to build if not applied correctly. In my mind, they leave too much room for mistake if not applied and removed properly. Also the wear and tear over the long term just doesn’t seem worth the benefits.

Thank so much for this post Alex. Extremely useful!
Maybe you could also prepare one on the differences between “organic” and “regular” nail polish?? I tried an all-natural French brand once, Scotch, and was not very impressed, so I went back to Essie/OPI/Mavala.

Garance, do not get a gel manicure… I once had it done with OPI products (which are supposed to be pretty decent) and my nails were burning for 24h… very scary. Never again.

Thank you Alex for that, really good advice! May I just add a little something…. my profession makes me say stuff like that ;-) If you had good nails and suddenly have breaking weak nails it might not be your manicure technique, it might be a health issue… for example iron deficit can make such breaking nails and other health related stuff, like hypofunction of the thyroid etc…. it might just be good to keep that in mind. xxx

Thanks for this interview Alex. It was super helpful and interesting to read. I’m going to send the link of your post to my mom because she has become a little bit nail obsessed (because of me ^^). It’s amazing how she feel empowered by a great manicure. She’s a business woman so she needs to have a polish look and nails totally complete that image. I offered her a Dior nail kit for Christmas and she received so much compliment since then. It proves that details can make such difference in a look.
Btw, congratulations Alex on writing ‘big posts’ now. I agree with Léonore, it’s nice to have beautiful images to go with the contributors posts as well.
And yes, no gel for me either. I’ve read some of the comments on Garance’s post and it was scary.
xx

Thank you so much for this post, Alex! I have always longed for beautiful, long, healthy nails – unfortunately, my nails have always been really brittle. I will take some of these extra steps, moisturizing more frequently/before bed, and taking my nail polish off the moment it starts chipping, and wait for some results.

Hi Ann! She is wearing Butter London’s Nail Foundation as a base coat with tenoverten’s The Shield top coat (it’s out in March!)– I did two coats of the Nail Foundation, it’s a pretty matte nude color so I wanted a shiny top coat to pump it up!

My nails take a beating every winter too. My main winter problems are dry cuticles and peeling nails :( For my cuticles I use cuticle oil more often than in other seasons. I like Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter. It smells nice, absorbs fairly quickly, and works well. For my peeling nails, I’ve been using Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula 2 for YEARS! Every time winters rolls around and my nails take a turn for the worse, a few weeks of using Nailtiques gets them back into good shape.

Alex.
Seriously if you want to get rid of cuticles once and for all you should try this 3 in 1 moisturizing balm (for eyes + lips too) from http://GetSpoiledNow.com

It’s called “Balmshell” – it contains oils of jojoba, rosehip seed, carrot seed, kukui nut, apricot kernel & beeswax. Rich in moisture and vitamins to help soften the skin on your eyes, lips and cuticles. It was not supposed to be for cuticles at first but I was using it on my eyes/lips and the extra I rubbed into my overly dry cuticles – GONE! I’ve been using it for that ever since. It works better than the one I was using from L’Occitane and even my Hawaiian oil. Only available online. xo

Great info, LOVELY photo. And thanks for telling it straight about gels. I have had 2 gel manicures and have liked the results because my nails look great for 10 days. But the chemicals are not worth it. I will never have another. I would rather use regular nail polish.

I work my hands hard at the office and home alike. I wash my hands often and forget to put cream during the day. My nails and hands are a mess during the winter.

I find that even a clear polish is better than none. Naked nails have to be perfect to look nice. I stagger my nail polish thru the week. On goes the base coat, next night some colour, next night more colour, next night top coat, etc…I just cant find the time to wait for a coat to dry. I really like the colour and matte finish of the Essie base coat/ridge filler. Nice nude :) I sometimes wear only it. Shhh.

Have you tried CND’s Vinylux? It is soooo good, actually lasts a week and looks as done and glossy as gel! And dries in about 10min without using lamps or anything like that! I’ve used it for a couple of months now and i love it so much! It’s my new religion, because with it my hands always look so perfect.

This seems like great advice, but everyone should also be aware that your nails are an indicator of your overall health & nutrition. If your nails are really brittle, discolored, or ridged, there might be an underlying health issue that you should see your doctor about! Thanks for a great post. C’est juste le perspectif d’une infirmière californienne :-)

Hi!
So I have always had weak nails, so never grew them long…until I moved to Denmark. Something in the water made my nails much thicker and stronger…crazy but true! It happened after a few months to both me and my husband, so maybe it was all of the minerals in the water there (they use groundwater not rainwater for the general water supply. So does anyone know which particular mineral supplement would do the same thing now that we have moved back to Australia?
Thanks for a great blog post!
Beth

Hi! So now I’m officially freaked out about gel! I guess I just love the fact that I really only have to get a manicure every two weeks when I opt for gel. . . are there any suggestions for colors or tips for regular manicures to stay for longer than (the usual) 5 days?

Glad to hear you are also not a fan of gels. Me neither.
In my opinion, your nails just can’t breathe.
I try to leave the nails unpolished for a day or 2 once a month, just to let them rest .. mostly just after a mani and a paraffin treatment. You then don’t need to worry about not having a colour on your nails ; they will look pinkish and your hands will feel as soft as a baby !